To Live Again
by charleymiamore
Summary: It was death that had scarred them both. Fate and Pain brought them together, but only Love can bind them together forever. Corny summary, I know, but I can't think of anything else. NOTE: This actually is Roman mythology...but no category for that...
1. PART ONE: Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE: The dream

"_S-stop."_

_The woman turned towards me._

"_Why?" A tone of sadness laced every letter in that word._

Oh God, please help me find the right words, _I furiously thought._

"_Y-you still have a life ahead of you, don't just—"_

_The look on her face shut me up. _

"_Mortal, you just don't know how much life I've got."_

_She took one step forward and disappeared from my sight._

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As I look into the hazy light that covered my bedroom, I sigh. I've been having that dream for quite sometime now, and it just won't keep itself out of my mind, or rather, I can't keep it out of my mind.

A woman, jumping off the topmost ledge of the city's tallest tower. A woman, plunging into the unfathomable space below.

A woman, whose corpse I've been so sure to find on the pavement below, mangled and definitely gruesome to see.

A woman, who suddenly vanished into thin air halfway between the pinnacle and the ground.

Or maybe I've been hallucinating at the time. It was near evening, and I've worked nonstop that day. The drink I've had before coming up the top floor must've gone up to my head. That must be it. It had to be, because the only other explanation would be that I've gone insane.

The bottle of amber liquid lying beside my bed tempts me, but no. Treacherous drink. Makes my head ache. I throw away my covers as if that could fully wake me up. Instead, I found myself staring up the ceiling of my roomy penthouse, thinking about how gloomy its color is.

A phantom of a laugh fills my ears. That makes me sit up straight and shake my head like a dog. I won't have any of that now. Not now, when there's so much to do at work.

Outside, a fresh new light fills the earth. I take a look at it for a while before turning my eyes once again on a different light, the one coming from my laptop computer screen.


	2. PART ONE: Chapter 2

Chapter Two: The end

It never ends.

Dawn breaks, and the sun comes, shining brightly up in the sky. The day ends, and darkness fills the land as it sleeps in peace. Seasons come in all their splendor, and they go as quietly as they could when the time is up.

And life goes on.

But as my eyes look down upon the multitude of people busily moving about like agitated ants, I couldn't help but shed tears. Not of joy, not of sorrow, but because of the bitterness welling up inside my heart. Bitterness, caused by jealousy, immense envy, that I have against the occupants of this mortal world.

Bitterness, because they can get out of this endless cycle that trapped me since the beginning of time.

Bitterness, because at any moment, something will take them away from this never-ending circle, from this infinite absurdity, from this earth.

Bitterness, because they can die.

Why can't I?

Why don't I try then?

I stand now at the pinnacle of this speck of land's tallest structure, to put my immortality to the test. When I step into this abyss, will death come and take me away from this endless labyrinth, this cruel fate? Or will it spare me, and lift me up from the ground that can break me?

One step. Just one step will do, and this endless search for the impossible will end.

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**I. Am. Sorry.**

**Really, I am. And so, I decided to post not one but two chapters for this time. Ok?**

**And… how to read this… well, there are two stories, both using the first person, but I think it's easy to distinguish one from the other so…there.**

**Bow.**


	3. PART ONE: Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Memories

I sit in my office, tapping away the utter nonsense my life had taken on the modern technology that I am facing.

God, I just wish this day would end.

Something on my desk buzzed. Ah, the telephone. I press a button.

"Sir?" The voice of my assistant, secretary, rather, issued from the box. "The boss wants to see you in his office in ten minutes."

"Thank you." What was there to thank for, anyway? That's her job.

I glance at the Mickey Mouse clock hanging on the wall directly in front of me. Suddenly, I felt a vicious pang of pain and a surge of violence rise within me. Somehow, I just felt like jumping out of my seat and taking that ridiculous clock down and smashing it up to bits. Powdery bits.

Crazy, I know, but that's exactly how I feel right now.

"_Philippe…"_ a playful voice came out of nowhere.

Stop it, please.

I turn my eyes again on the computer screen, struggling to focus. But try as I may, the memories flooding within me can't be easily contained.

"_Why are you still working, Philippe?"_

_There she was, divinely beautiful, lying on my bed._

"_Emma, don't start, please."_

_The satin sheets fell gracefully down her curves as she got up and walked slowly toward me. It was all I could do to stop myself holding her in my arms, forgetting even the precious work I've done all throughout the night._

_I remained fixed in front of the computer, pretending to be absorbed in the mundane writings on it, but really, actually, painfully aware of her arms around my neck. Her breath smelled so sweet as she put her lips near my ear and whispered,_

"_Oh, if only you could keep your eyes away from that horrid thing, Then you'd know what you've been missing."_

Bitter tears sting my eyes. For a moment, I felt bewildered about the presence of fog in my office, before I noticed the mist gathering on my glasses. I take them off and distractedly wipe them against the impeccably crisp shirt I'm wearing, while all the while my tears flowed. I feel so oddly weak, with these cursed tears down my face.

Damn it, no.

With a deep breath, I calm myself. The boss needs to see me, and I will go.

There's no room for weakness here.

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**I honestly don't know when I'm going to update…I wish I could say tomorrow, or soon after, but there's this feeling of being stuck that I get once in a while, making me absolutely incapable of writing for periods of time. Do be patient with me…and also, I hope you enjoyed this (though it's a little bit angsty and stuff.).**


	4. PART ONE: Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR: A lonely soul

The world is still today. Nothing stirred; nothing made a sound, nothing. The world is silent, as it had always been for so long.

Of course, this is my world I'm talking about. The immortal world, the land I live in, the world that was once full of joy and laughter, looked like the world beneath the earth now. The world which once was filled with delightful music now was deathly silent. In this world, where once dwelt divine, luminescent beings, now held only one solitary being.

They are all dead, they who were once cast into the roles of gods and goddesses, they who were once deemed to be deathless.

No more.

Gone.

Every one of them, who once possessed power over the mortal world, now succumbed to that which all of them thought was a weakness for mortals alone.

Death now laid claim to them because nobody believed in them anymore. They all died because in the end, their immortality proved to be as frail as the mortals they thought were weaker than them, for a life utterly dependent on faith was a fragile life indeed.

That faith had now vanished.

But the essence of this world still remains, because death can never touch the soul, never claim it, never do it any harm.

I close my eyes at these thoughts. The soul of this place still lives, as long as I, the lone being left on this forsaken world, still live. Now I know this world will never die, no matter how silent it is, no matter how mirthless and lonely it is, because death had now showed me it can even save me from itself.

How do I know this?

That one step had told me so.

And for that, I resent it.


	5. PART ONE: Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Solitude

_Freedom. They've given me freedom. _

I put my foot down the accelerator.

_I don't need freedom._

The car shot forwards, coming short on breaking the barrier of sound. And of course the speed limit. Almost.

"_But why sir? Have I caused you any displeasure or—"_

"_No, Philippe. Your recent performance is splendid. I am proud of what you have accomplished these past months. It's just that…"_

Just what?

"…_you're delaying your grief. It's unhealthy for you to continue this way."_

"_But I can do anything just fine, sir. Please don't—"_

"_No, Philippe." The boss's stare was firm. "You're doing things beyond what is necessary, almost in a frenzy, but sooner or later, you're going to crack."_

"_I'm not some weakling—"_

"_But you are. You're weak, Philippe, at this moment, at this time, even if you pretend otherwise."_

Bastard.

_The boss's face was emotionless. "File a leave of absence here, at my desk, right now. Make it paid, if you wish, just take some time out for yourself. You really need it."_

I don't need anything.

"_Why don't I file an irrevocable resignation now then?" Hate filled every sinew of my body._

_The boss's face was still impassive. "No, you can't. My sister wouldn't like it."_

_I stared hard at him. He stared back._

"_Emma wouldn't like you to resign over this, not when she knows how important your career is to you."_

I slam on the brakes. In front of the wheel, in the middle of the road, weakness overtook me. Treacherous tears flow down endlessly down my face, as pain rushes into my heart like waves clashing on rocks.

But I can't go on like this.

Behind me, another car blew its horn. Hastily wiping off those bitter tears from my face, I flash a rude hand gesture to the car's driver and speed on to solitude.

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	6. PART ONE: Chapter 6

Chapter 6: A choice

_It was a quick touch, just a soft brush upon my skin, but the warmth and the pressure of his lips against mine startled me nevertheless._

_I turned, and found myself feeling a sudden intimacy that rendered me breathless. I saw the flash of his bright eyes seeming to pierce my soul, making me feel naked and helpless in his stare. Even in the darkness, I can't escape his glance._

_I could not find the strength to move as he caressed my hair, my face, my lips… I could swear he was laughing at me as I glimpse his mouth curve into a smile, but I can't blame him. I felt stupid just looking at him like a starry-eyed teenager with a crush._

"_Stop it, please…" As I heard the words come out of my mouth, I felt even stupider than ever._

_His smile widened. My cheeks grew redder and hotter at his retort. "Whyever not?" he replied, in a teasing tone. "It's your reward for being so beautiful."_

I jerked awake. Out of the corner of my eyes, a silhouette slunk away as rapidly as the memories of the dream disappeared. As every bit of sleep drained away from my eyes, I found myself breathing rather fast, as if I had run around the world in so little time. I took a deep breath to calm myself.

Just when I could breathe normally again, the tears came.

Oh, merciful heavens, let it stop, please.

The saltiness of the tears that flowed down my lips were just like the bitter taste of the choice I made.


	7. PART ONE: Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7: Specters

"_Move over, Philippe. I want that seat."_

Voices. Voices fill the emptiness in my head.

"Philippe! Dinner's ready, can't you smell it? Mmmm…"

Laughter echoes on the four walls of the house and out through the door.

"Come on, let's go outside for just a moment, Philippe! The air's so fresh tonight, don't you think so? Oh… It smells… heavenly…"

And for all of those declarations of mirth and innocence, I had a retort ready for each of them.

"You move % I got here first." "I'm working, can't you hear that?" "Not now, Emma. That air will always be there for you to smell. My work and the promotion coming with it won't be waiting for me."

I moved a little bit on the couch I was sitting on.

There, Emma. There's space for you now.

_I just got fired from my job… no, I quit it… so I'm not working now._

_You're right. The air's always fresh here, and it smells wonderful. It's why we bought this house in the countryside, right?_

I decided to use my voice. The silence is me.

"Emma? I'm here now…" Can't you hear me? I tried to continue, but my voice just died out.

Because she can't hear me. How could she? She's gone…_dead_… and here I am, on the verge of insanity, talking to specters in my mind.

Then, suddenly, tears burst from my eyes. Uncalled for, uncontrollable, unstoppable.

Alone in the house we once built our dreams upon, I screamed out my maddening grief for the time wasted on things that were really trivial, the time that was denied, not to me, but _by _me, willfully, and knowingly, shutting out the only one who really mattered.

Curled up like a helpless , I lay on the empty couch which soaked all those bitter tears before exhaustion drove me to the cold and dark arms of the sleep that became my only escape from this painful reality.


	8. PART ONE: Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8: Meetings

The blue sky above was bluer than ever. Nearby, the blazing sun continued its path westward, glaring down with fiery eyes on those unfortunate mortals who have to toil beneath it.

I sighed, mingling my breath with the breeze that ruffled my hair, my dress, and the grass all around me. The ground upon which I lay was so cool that it perfectly contrasted the heat of the sun above me.

Long ago, so long ago that it was barely a memory, I had these same sensations just before…

I closed my eyes. No, they weren't the exact sensations I had then. Before, it was much more magical, mysterious…

This time, the sigh I let go was harsher. The pain welled up in my bosom, but I'll not allow it to escape my eyes again. Once was enough. An eternity of tears would be too much.

I breathed deeply to calm the fire in my chest. Some things don't change, thankfully. The air was as fresh as before, untouched by the horrible pollution that mortals seem content to breathe in.

This is my special place, after all, where my heart belongs, and no mortal can dare meddle with it without my leave.

They'd die first. This I swear by the one who brought me here.

I don't know how long I lay there, or how long I slept. Time never really matters to me, anyway. However, my slumber was cut short as the awareness that someone was rudely intruding my privacy jerked me awake.

It felt uncomfortably intimate.

I opened my eyes and came face to face with eyes as blue as the sky above.

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**There. At last. My pacing's too slow, isn't it? Oh well.**


	9. PART ONE: Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9: Magic

Night turns into day, but the darkness still remained. Sleep had been no respite for the pain burning my heart, and so there was nothing left to do but to open my eyes.

I can't even get little things to happen the way I want them to happen. Life is so unfair.

I got up from the couch and flexed my muscles. Some joints cracked from the effort, but that eased the soreness. My head and my back, however, are hopeless. I sighed and dragged my feet to the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face.

I couldn't even look at my reflection in the mirror anymore. I ignored it altogether as I scooped water from the running faucet and splashed it on my face. I know I look hideous, like a monster rivaling even Frankenstein himself, but I couldn't care less.

I turned off the faucet and went out of the bathroom.

Painful as it was, I prowled around the house, noticing as I went that I hadn't pulled the curtains open ever since I got here. Every now and then, I saw minute details that reminded me of Emma—some of her photos, a favored chair, and some clothes she forgot to pack on that fateful day.

How can I ever escape her presence here? How can I finally say I've let go of her when in fact I still held her close to my heart?

I ran out of the door.

Because I couldn't.

"Somebody, please help me forget…" I whispered to the wind blowing in my face.

Then a golden apparition came to steal my senses.

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**Weee… read and review… thanks…**


	10. PART ONE: Chapter 10

**Note: This is not a memory of either character… this is a third-person point of view (obviously…). I wrote this way because I wanted to get out of their heads! (haha. And because I got stuck when I wanted to describe Philippe and… the goddess's… emotions when they met.) I will confuse you more later in the story because of this shifting points of view, so… on with the show!!!**

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CHAPTER 10: Recognition

_She screamed a scream that seemed to come from the netherworlds._

_Wincing in pain, the man clapped his hands over his ears as he hastily blurted out, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" _

_The woman scrambled to her feet and leapt away from the man. "How dare you!" she cried, her voice shrill with fear._

"_I'm really sorry," the man said, getting to his feet as well. "I didn't mean to frighten you," he added in a softer tone._

_The fear in the woman's eyes subsided. Anger took its place. "Apologies won't make your mistake smaller, mortal!" she hissed, and raised a hand to strike him. _

_But the man was quick to defend himself, and caught the hand before it struck. "Whoa, hold it in there!" he cried._

"_Let go!" the woman ordered, struggling against his grasp. But the man didn't let go._

"_You've got a temper in you, haven't you?" the man smiled, but the smile slowly faded as he intently stared at the woman's face._

_She recoiled slightly at the intensity of the man's unwavering gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked in a small voice._

_The man blinked twice and shook himself as if out of a trance. "You just seem so familiar. Have we… met before?" he asked tentatively._

_There was a pause as it was the woman's turn to stare._

"_Yes…" she finally said. Her facial features grew softer as the anger that twisted them subsided. "I do remember you."_

_His smile was such that she forgot the fingers that intertwined with his._

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**Thus ended that part. Read and review, please!**


	11. PART ONE: Chapter 11

…**and we continue with the confusion…**

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CHAPTER 11: Friendly chat

He was the first mortal to ever get close to me like that, and yet I could not find it in my heart to destroy him as I ought to.

Yes, I remembered him. He was the mortal who saw me jump off that building, the only witness to my vain attempt to die. I know he remembered that too, but like most mortals, he still believes that what happened was a dream, seeing that I'm still alive after a thousand feet drop from that rooftop. A typical mortal, always concerned about the sanity of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, again, for interrupting your sleep," he said, "but I really thought I'm the only person around here." He smiled, revealing a small dimple near his mouth. "Guess I was wrong."

I don't know why, but my heart suddenly ached at that smile. I turned away.

"Hey!" he called out, but I didn't turn back. "Hey, lady!" he called again, and took hold of my arm to force me to turn around. "It's not polite to just walk away from someone like that, you know." His lips turned down into a frown. Then he lightened up. "Please, just let me know your name."

I just stared at him. "Why is it so important to you?" I asked him.

He laughed – in relief. "I thought you didn't speak," he said. "What's the rush, anyway?"

There was a carefree tone in his voice that I thought I wouldn't hear in anyone else. I looked into his eyes – those eyes which disturbed me so – and the scathing words that I thought a moment earlier evaporated and disappeared entirely from my mind.

"I'm Philippe, by the way," he said, extending a hand.

His warm eyes and easy smile allured me. Yes, I truly can't find it in myself to destroy him, because he'd stirred in me again the need for companionship to ease this loneliness in my heart. I took his hand.

"Leithia," I replied.

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**Didn't think I'd easily reveal the name of my goddess now, did you? Hehe. Let the speculations begin! (though you may have easily guessed it…) Read and review, please? And tell me if these shifting points of view annoy you… just tell me… and I'll annoy you further, hahaha! (I can't and don't want to change it coz I've already gone further in my story to just change it like that… peace…)**


	12. PART TWO: Chapter 1

**Note on the Part One thingy on the chapter titles: There is a reason. Period. And the reason is because Part One is the part where the characters' lives are still in a parallel line… they haven't met yet… and at the last part they did… This chapter is the start of Part Two, where the stories are all about the time they were already together… Part Three? On the process… don't worry…**

…**then I suddenly got inspired… wanted to publish this ahead of schedule… so I did… and here we go…**

**---------------------------**

PART TWO

CHAPTER 1: Food

Whenever she came, a breath of fresh air always seemed to fill my lungs.

Ever since that encounter in the meadow, Leithia has been stopping by my house every now and then. Just occasional visits, and every one of them never fail to startle me. She'd come unexpectedly, and I would never have a chance to prepare myself for her arrival.

Like now.

I almost forgot the eggs being fried on the pan. Hastily, I dished them out before they burned. Taking a stack of toast from the counter, I walked over to the living room where Leithia was, entertained by the TV shows she was watching.

It was amusing to see Leithia watching television. It was as if she'd never heard of one of these things before. She sat on the couch, her legs tucked beneath her, and her eyes totally immersed and intrigued by the talk show people. She didn't even notice me as I approached her with breakfast – for her and for me as well.

"A minute more and your eyes will be glued to the TV screen," I chided her.

That got her attention. Her clear eyes – _really, what kind of eyes are those? They're so light sea green that it was almost colorless_ – turned from the TV to me, then down to the plates on my hands. She stared at the food for such a long time that I got conscious and started _blushing_, for goodness sake.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I don't usually cook in here, I always go out to eat, and you caught me off guard with only those in the kitchen – "

Leithia quickly took the plates from my hands and placed them on the coffee table before her. She smiled. "No need to apologize, mortal," she said.

"It's Philippe," I mumbled, because she always calls me that. _Mortal_. As if she isn't one herself.

Leithia smiled wider, exposing white, even, beautiful teeth.

"As you say. Philippe." She took a piece of toast from the stack and bit on it. She chewed slowly, thoughtfully, then she swallowed. She smiled a small smile. "I haven't had this kind of food ever since – " She stopped, and looked into my eyes.

I could almost smack myself on the head as I quickly averted my gaze. How must I have looked to her, gawking stupidly at her like that! I cleared my throat and dared to raise my eyes again.

"Since when?" I asked, trying to hide my previous embarrassment as if it never happened

She looked at me for a while – quite a long while, I was beginning to feel uneasy beneath her scrutiny – before she replied, jestingly, "Since time immemorial," with a twinkle in her eyes.

Then she laughed – a beautiful sound, which, at the same time, a wake-up call for me as the heat rose up my cheeks again. How can a man blush this often? I cursed silently as I turned my eyes away again.

"You're very interesting, Philippe," she said, the laughter still in her voice.

"Yeah, whatever," I replied sulkily as I attacked my food.


	13. PART TWO: Chapter 2

**I'm beginning to enjoy myself writing Part Three… but here, I'm still at Part Two… no matter, we'll get there soon enough… hope you'll still be there, though.**

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CHAPTER TWO: Fears

"Hey, watch it!"

His voice startled me as I sat, perched upon the railings of the balcony on the second floor of his house. I turned, as much as my body can allow, to him as he quickly approached me.

"What's the matter, Philippe?" I asked as he took hold of my arms.

"What's the _matter_?" Philippe asked me incredulously. His eyes widened. "Can't you see the obvious?"

I was still clueless as to what he meant.

His eyebrows knit together in an angry manner. "We're on the second floor, and you're sitting on the railings… doesn't that mean anything to you?" he said, annoyed, and becoming a little bit shrill.

I leaned forward to look below. Almost immediately, the grip on my arms tightened and the force with which he pulled me back was so strong that I toppled backwards.

"Oh!" I exclaimed as I slammed into him. That knocked him backwards as well, and w fell down in a heap upon the balcony floor.

He grunted as he hit the edge of a chair near him. The chair was knocked down too.

My arms felt sore, but he must be in more pain than I was as I reached out to him. "Are you okay?" I asked.

He roughly brushed aside my hands. His eyes stared angrily down at me. "Are you crazy?" he almost shouted. "Do you really want to die?"

"It's only the second floor—" I began, but he couldn't contain his anger any longer.

"I don't care if you only get broken bones if you fall from here, Em—" he stopped abruptly, and it was surprising to note the abrupt change in his face. He looked as if he'd been struck by lightning, and was rendered temporarily dumb.

I reached out to hold his hand. He seemed insensible to my touch. "I'm truly sorry, Philippe," I said gently. At the mention of his name, Philippe seemed to revive as he looked at me. "I won't do it again if it so displeases you."

He looked down on the hand I was holding. He raised his other hand tentatively, then placed it atop my hand. He held it, and slowly took my hand away.

"What do I know anyway," he muttered as he got on his feet. He helped me up, and then straightened the chair that fell down. I heard him mumble something like, "You were doing the same thing the very first time we met anyway."

He looked into my eyes, and a slight crease marred his forehead. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but that question died on his lips as he closed his mouth again. He shook his head and turned away from me.

"Just don't go scaring me like that again," was his final word.

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**My jittery excitement causes these almost daily updates…hope that makes up for the year-long silence on my part… I truly am sorry about that.**

**Read and review, guys! Tell me if I suck or what…**


	14. PART TWO: Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE: Questions

"Where do you live, Leithia?" I kept asking that question just in case she would finally be caught unaware.

Almost a month had already passed since I've known Leithia. Through her quite infrequent and surprising, but welcome, visits, we struck a bond that may be called a casual friendship. Being in this house all alone was alleviated by her mere presence, and the exile I've imposed on myself now felt bearable.

Frankly, though, I still feel as if she were still a stranger, because of the endless questions that still hung between us.

Leithia turned her clear eyes to face me. "Where my heart lives, Philippe," she said, giving me that familiar sad smile. It was time to step up the interrogation.

I made my impatience plain. "I don't care if you live in a garbage dump, Leithia," I retorted, immediately distracted by a mental image of Leithia living in the slums. Somehow, that didn't quite fit. I shook myself mentally and continued, "I just want to know where your house is, you know, to give me a little insight into who you really are."

Leithia looked into my eyes, but said nothing.

"You aren't exactly an open book for me to read, you know," I went on. "Whereas, you've seen through me completely as if I'm made out of air."

Leithia smiled. "You aren't exactly that difficult to figure out, Philippe," she said. That made me pause. "Besides, my existence is not as interesting as yours, truth be told." She sighed. "I've walked on this earth in a daze, hardly caring to become more than I am." She stood up and gazed at the meadow below. Her eyes weren't really looking at it, though.

"Because I can never be more than I am, anymore," she whispered, a sound almost faint I could barely hear it.

The wind died, and her hair fell down gracefully about her shoulders, trailing all the way beyond her waist. I wanted to touch those golden waves, to feel how soft they really are, but I contented myself with just brushing away a golden lock from her beautiful, pensive face.

She jumped slightly at my touch. I smiled, to bring back her composure. "As usual, I can't understand what you're talking about, Leithia," I commented, half jestingly, half sincerely. I dropped my hand and followed her gaze. The meadow was as green as usual, but I didn't mind it that much anymore.

Still keeping my eyes on the meadow, I said to her, "I don't think so." I know she was looking at me, but I refuse to meet her eyes. "People are always more than what they are. Don't exclude yourself from that."

The breeze and Leithia's heavenly scent mingled and swirled all around us. Then Leithia sighed. "Maybe you're right, but I don't see that anymore," she said, then laughed softly. I turned to the sound, and met her gaze. "I never thought I could feel an oracle's reassurance again after all these years."

Still laughing, she said goodbye and went out of the house. After a while I remembered she still didn't answer any of my questions.

"I don't get it," I could only sigh.

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	15. PART TWO: Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR: Crimes

Selene looks down upon me with her silvery gaze.

How I wish I could escape it.

Her cold light pulses in my veins; every part of my body yearns to shy away from her steady gaze.

But I couldn't escape it.

Because she knows, she who had also succumbed to this treacherous desire, and in the process condemned its object to an eternal sleep that can never be lifted.

Because she understands this need, she who once had contented herself to cast her light upon the slumbering earth, but soon found herself wanting more.

Because she knows this painful loneliness that permeates my soul, devouring me in every day of my eternal existence, filling me with venomous efficiency, creating a deep and dark abyss in my ever-beating heart.

Because she knows the reason why I am now here, standing upon the cold marble floor, after having slipped in as quietly and as stealthily as a common thief.

A criminal.

Pathetic, really, but as I slid the glass doors open and shut, I realized, maybe I am becoming one.

Especially as I gaze down at the sleeping mortal who had silently stolen into my life, and eased centuries of pain and loneliness in my heart.

**Yeah. Life gets in the way sometimes. =)**


	16. PART TWO: Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE: Engaged

I could taste the saltiness in the air.

The moon stood alone in the sky. No stars sparkled against the darkness of the night; only the moon shone, ethereal and serene, in its full splendor.

I reached out to touch her pale, porcelain skin.

"Hey," I whispered, burying my face into her sweet-smelling hair. "You left the bed cold."

She smiled up at me and touched my face. "Sorry," she replied. "I hate to wake you up."

I smiled back. "No matter," I said. "You're here now with me."

She shivered involuntarily, though there was no wind. I pulled her close and wrapped my arms around her fragile body. "Better?" I asked.

She relaxed, leaned her head against my chest, and sighed. "Yes, thank you."

We stood that way for a while, the sea with its calm waves soothing us, and the moon watching us. Everything was so calm and peaceful, my life was going the way it should be, that I can't contain myself. I have to say these words to her, before the moment passes from our hands.

I need to secure to myself the last and most important piece of my life to make it perfect.

"I love you," I whispered in her ear.

She sighed, a half-sleepy sigh, and replied, "I know you do."

I gently cupped her chin with my hand and made her look at me. "If I asked you to marry me now, would you do it?"

Suddenly, the night wind blew up around us. I don't know, though, if it was the chill of the wind or my question that made her stiffen in my arms.

There was a silence, unbroken except for our breaths and the waves lapping on the shore. As the silence lengthened, so did my unease. I held her tighter to me. I couldn't bear to hear her say no. "Emma, please say you'll marry me," I pleaded, looking straight into her unreadable eyes. "I love you too much to let you go."

She blinked, and tears quickly rushed into her eyes. "Oh Philippe," she said, her voice breaking, her hands reaching up to touch my face again. "Don't say that… don't say that…"

"Why Emma?" I was bewildered about those tears in her eyes.

She gripped my face harder. "You need to wake up."

I was forced to, because the moment I opened my eyes, Leithia was standing by my side.

**I had thought of canceling this story altogether, but… well… it got stuck in my mind. I hope you forgive me for my very very very very very very very very super long absence.**


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